From an article by Pam Kragen
Growing up in Detroit during the Depression, Si Wasserman was so poor that the only sporting equipment he owned was an old football stuffed with newspapers.
Then one day the 12-year-old orphan walked into a local recreation center and became transfixed by the sight of two men batting a small plastic ball back and forth across a table with wooden paddles. It was the beginning a lifetime love affair with table tennis.
Last week, the 91-year-old Wasserman, now an Oceanside resident, clinched his first-ever grand slam by winning the last of four major national and international table tennis championships for his age group.
The victory took place July 2-6 at the U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships in Las Vegas, where he was the oldest competitor out of more than 1,000 players from 26 countries. To win his title in the 85-and-older bracket, he beat Berta Speisman of Laguna Woods in three games straight.
“She’s a young 86, and she plays a good game, but I’m a little stronger,” he said of the 11-3, 11-7, 11-8 victory.
“He’s the king,” said player Shelley Hardy of Carlsbad. “He’s the top person we honor and respect, and he’s a consummate gentleman.”
Read the full article on
UTSanDiego
Marty Reisman, a wizard at table tennis, the sport in which he captured national championships, won and lost fortunes on wagers and moved crowds to laughter — sometimes using a frying pan as a paddle — as an opening act for the Harlem Globetrotters, died Friday in Manhattan. He was 82.
The death was announced by
Table Tennis Nation, an organization he founded two years ago to make his sport even more fun. Cooper Fallek, its chief operating officer, said the cause was complications of heart and lung ailments.
Check out the
results from the Senior Olympics by
clicking here!
In case you missed it, here are some pictures provided by Borko:
The
Henderson Senior Games is a competitive and social event open to anyone ages 50+. This event combines sports and games with entertainment and camaraderie. Events are selected by interest and include all aspects of friendly competition. For more information, visit the website by
clicking here.
Instructions:
Henderson Games Entry Form Instructions
Entry Form:
2012 Henderson Senior Games Registration Form
Special Discount:
Sunset Station Room Info for Table Tennis
Our club lost an irreplaceable leader last year.
The list of Mr. Neil Smyth’s achievements is endless. From attending Yale University and being a member of the U.S. Navy, to being a Vice-President of the Las Vegas hotel Caesars Palace, he left an impact on a lot of people. Next to all this, he was a great family man. He may not be with us anymore, but the footprint he left on our lives is too big to be ignored.
It was a fall day when Mr. Neil approached and welcomed me to the San Diego Table Tennis Club. I don’t remember the details, but the truth is that very often we forget the first encounter with those we end up being close with.
I have never seen someone of that age being so good and active in our sport. He said that table tennis is the only sport where he can still beat those younger and faster than him.
He had a strange way of holding the paddle, and managed to keep it that way even though many suggested that he should change it. His serves seemed simple, but a lot of people had trouble returning them. He loved playing doubles. After a won point, he would celebrate quietly, without provoking his opponent. At the end of a won match he would just say victoriously: “That’s it!” Every won match was important to him. He would talk about these victories with people close to him, and after them he would go home satisfied. On the other hand, we knew that even if he lost, Mr. Neil would be rushing back to Balboa Park the next day ready to challenge some other people.
Read More »
I heard that he left his hometown New York and the other cities in which he lived, and moved to San Diego because of the beach and table tennis. Most likely the latter being the bigger motive. No matter how fancy an occasion, Mr. Neil always wore a table tennis pin on his coat. The love he had for the sport was enormous and many of us know this. I had the honor of being his doubles partner many times, but this was only when his favorite partner, Borko, wasn’t there.He wasn’t just respected in the table tennis world. During one of the USATT Nationals in Las Vegas, after I had lost my room key and was wondering around the hotel clueless, I luckily ran into Mr. Neil and the problem was solved. He told the security to contact some important guy of the hotel, don’t remember who, and after about a minute of explaining who he was and what he has done I received my new room key and a huge smile.
Mr. Neil was the treasurer on the San Diego Table Tennis Board of Directors. Phil Van De Wiele recalls that during the board meetings when Mr. Neil spoke everybody listened. He was the one collecting the daily fees from all the players and he always knew who paid, and who didn’t, and who needs to be charged the daily fee and who doesn’t. He was serious about it, but very respectful. His handwritten membership database was always extremely accurate and in the alphabetical order.
Mr. Neil asked Phil to run the Senior Olympics one year. Just like in picking his doubles partners and choosing which serve to serve, this wasn’t an accident. He trusted Phil as someone who will do the job right. But just in case he sent Phil “a hand written detailed description on seven pages of yellow legal sized paper covering every facet of the preparation and execution of a quality tournament.” Even though our club can’t be compared with the Navy or with the Caesars Palace, everything Mr. Neil did was in a very professional manner.
Mr. Neil was approachable to everybody. As a new member of the club Ms. Lyndelle Fairlie first talked to him about joining the club. With his kind words he urged Ms. Lyndelle to start attending the Thursday night tournaments and to play the Senior Olympics. His warmth allowed her to become a great senior athlete of our club.
Mark Adelman describes Mr. Neil in the most fitting words: “He was man of extraordinary character and integrity, with a fierce competitive instinct. He was also a man of tremendous empathy. He cared very much about his fellow men. He had an air of grace & dignity about him. That’s a rare combination for any man.” Many members agree with Mark and say that Mr. Neil’s presence will be greatly missed, but that his legacy is something that will remain forever.
The last tournament Mr. Neil played was the 2011 San Diego Senior Games. This time he played doubles with Micha Vlašić. They made it to the finals but were defeated by Aharon Shapiro and Mark Adelman. This silver medal was important for Mr. Neil especially because all of the men at the table were players younger and much higher rated than he was.
Mr. Neil did a lot in his life. He is an inspiration and an example of hard work and dedication towards the things one loves. The thought that we won’t see him at the club anymore is strange.
The end of life of those that meant a lot to us always comes as a surprise. It finds us unprepared. At first it takes away our words and later we slowly get used to the loss. We will carry the memories of our friend and mentor Mr. Neil Smyth for a long time. He will never be forgotten.
Brana Vlašić
January, 2012
We regret to inform you that our dear friend and club member
Neil Cornelius Smyth passed away last night around midnight on November 1st, 2011. More details will be posted here when they become available.
(You may click on the photo to enlarge it.)
Click here to view Neil’s
USATT Hall of Fame induction article.
There will be a service on Monday in San Diego, and another later in the week in Las Vegas. This link contains the information, and a guest book to sign:
Neil’s Guestbook & Funeral Service Info
(Info from Carl Danner)
Hi All:
Well, it’s all over. Christian Lillieroos won
Silver losing to Francisco Mendez in the Gold Medal match for over 2000 rated event. I lost the Bronze Medal match to Karl Assenmacher in the over 2000 rated event. Ray Fahlstrom and I lost our Gold Medal match to win
Silver to Gayle Weikert and Shi Lin. We didn’t play well at all. Ray won
Silver in his Mixed Doubles match age 75-79. I won
Gold in the Mixed Doubles age 70-74 with my partner Joanne Tessler. See you all at the club.
Best regards,
Mark
Summary
Silver medal in Over 2000 – Christian Lillieroos
Silver in Men’s Doubles – Age 70-74 – Mark Adelman & Ray Fahlstrom
Gold in Mixed Doubles – Age 70-74 – Mark Adelman
Silver in Mixed Doubles – Age 75-79 – Ray Fahlstrom